Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Equatorial Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Equatorial Guinea

Name: Equatorial Guinea
Address: GQ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in South Africa versus $1,086 in Equatorial Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in South Africa versus $1,660 in Equatorial Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,419 in South Africa versus $2,233 in Equatorial Guinea.

Living in South Africa is roughly 5% more expensive than in Equatorial Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 17% lower, Equatorial Guinea 21% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $647 to $1,815, compared to $688–$1,484 in Equatorial Guinea. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$14.45 FCFA 8,165

-21.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$56.7 FCFA 32.0K

-21.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$9.11 FCFA 5,149

-35.24%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$4.05 FCFA 2,290

-39.75%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.64

$1.09 FCFA 615

6.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$0.68 FCFA 385

41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$2.68 FCFA 1,514

-4.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$4.55 FCFA 2,572

-32.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$2.46 FCFA 1,392

-47.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$3.26 FCFA 1,840

-65.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$1.71 FCFA 969

7.02%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$3.33 FCFA 1,880

-23.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$8.74 FCFA 4,940

-4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$6.89 FCFA 3,891

-21.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$9.02 FCFA 5,097

-12.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$6.39 FCFA 3,610

-70.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$1.72 FCFA 970

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$8.72 FCFA 4,929

-79.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$3.56 FCFA 2,010

-47.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$2.72 FCFA 1,537

-43.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$2.67 FCFA 1,510

-44.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$0.91 FCFA 514

46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$1.32 FCFA 746

-9.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$4.84 FCFA 2,732

-29.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$6.26 FCFA 3,536

-18.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$2.53 FCFA 1,429

-40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$0.85 FCFA 480

138.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$1.78 FCFA 1,008

-1.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$26.02 FCFA 14.7K

142.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$0.85 FCFA 478

31.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$0.93 FCFA 527

8.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$8.63 FCFA 4,878

-6.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.13 FCFA 640

29.20%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.8K R 592.8K

$32.7K FCFA 18.5M

12.66%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.5K R 523.6K

$30.0K FCFA 16.9M

8.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$136 R 2,185

$354 FCFA 200.0K

-61.66%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.72 R 575

$17.86 FCFA 10.1K

100.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$34.92 FCFA 19.7K

18.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$53.9 FCFA 30.5K

-35.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$14.40 FCFA 8,137

-13.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$5.54 FCFA 3,128

37.55%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$231 R 3,725

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$349 FCFA 197.2K

1540.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$78.6 FCFA 44.4K

-28.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$70.9 FCFA 40.1K

-52.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$148 FCFA 83.7K

-31.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$143 FCFA 80.9K

-35.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$404 FCFA 228.3K

25.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$223 FCFA 125.9K

87.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$505 FCFA 285.3K

93.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$317 FCFA 179.0K

164.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$842 FCFA 475.9K

36.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$650 FCFA 367.2K

23.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$805 FCFA 454.9K

93.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

6.8

65.29%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Equatorial Guinea: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $1,553 in South Africa, $791 in Equatorial Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 127% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 45% more in Equatorial Guinea.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 96% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

South Africa vs Equatorial Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,086 per month in Equatorial Guinea and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 13% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Equatorial Guinea: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa is consistently higher than in Equatorial Guinea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Equatorial Guinea, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Equatorial Guinea wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.